JOINING page 65

undertaking he ever attempted.
Mr. Bednarsh and Mr. Esshaki

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Tel: (810) 335-1309 Fax: (810) 332-5570

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AVENUE SHOPPES

THE DETR O I T J E WI SH N EWS

It's
Where
You
Want
To Be.

00

Haggerty & Maple Road
West Bloomfield

• FASHION • FOOD • CONVENIENCE •

• 40 shops available

•All shops face Haggerty

• Space available from 1,225-10,275 sq. ft.

have invested over $500,000 in
Mel's and nearly broke even af-
ter their first year in business.
The restaurant is serving ap-
proximately 1,500 meals per
week, while open 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sundays through Thursdays,
and open 24 hours on Fridays
and Saturdays.
"In with the new, out with the
old," says Mr. Esshaki. "We
didn't want another operation
like Pizzafix but didn't have the
money for a $1 million operation
in West Bloomfield.
"For Detroit to come back like
Cleveland, more young people
have to see an opportunity to get
ahead and make a place to so-
cialize with art, music and sports
events."
Mr. Bednarsh works 60 hours
per week at Antwerp Jewelers
and dedicates an additional 40
to Mel's. Although there are eas-
ier ways to make money, he is
motivated by a sense of accom-
plishment. And the diner has be-
come an extended family for him.
"I liked the challenge of start-
ing a business from the ground
up with someone I had a lot of
confidence in," says Mr. Bed-
narsh. "Even though our funds
were limited, the place turned
out gorgeous. A lot of people con-
sider 50 hours to be full-time, but
if you want something badly
enough you have to be willing to
put in the extra hours."
Part of the satisfaction Mr.
Bendrash gains from operating
Mel's comes from the feeling he
has made a difference in the lives
of his employees and customers.
Paul Yrshus, Mel's bussing staff
and delivery person, has worked
for Mr. Esshaki for two years.
Mr. Yrshus was homeless and
looking for odd jobs on Eight
Mile when Mr. Esshaki met him
near a telephone booth.
"This is Paul, my backdoor

man!" Mr. Esshaki proudly ex-
claims. "He was looking for work
and we thought we'd try him out.
He's been our best employee. He
never misses a day of work or
gives you a hard time when you
ask him to do something. He's a
great employee who's just had
some bad luck."
Mr. Bednarsh and Mr. Es-
shaki plan to help Mr. Yrshus
buy a house and a car, using sav-
ings and credit based on his em-
ployment history at Mel's.
Maurice Lezelle, the face of
Belvedere Construction's "We do
good work" television slogan,
stops often at Mel's from his
nearby office. "It's a pleasure to
have them in the neighborhood,"
says Mr. Lezelle. "The omelets
are very good and I feel they're
doing a good job."
Other recent successes along
Eight Mile Road include a new
Home Depot at Greenfield and
the Roger supermarket and
shopping plaza at Wyoming.
News of recent successes is
bolstered by figures from
Detroit's Planning and Develop-
ment Department empower-
ment zone: $3.7 billion in new
business development between
January 1995 and April 1997,
resulting in approximately 2,750
new jobs.
Mr. Bednarsh and Mr. Es-
shaki feel Mel's is out of the
woods in terms of survival and
customer loyalty. They are
preparing their first advertise-
ments to support their word-of-
mouth reputation.
Mel's may also pursue a beer
and wine license, something Mr.
Bednarsh and Mr. Esshaki orig-
inally turned down in fear of dis-
suading family business.
With one business turning the
corner, the two partners are set-
ting their sights on real estate
development in Detroit. Just
something to add to their 100-
hour weeks. ❑

• Class C liquor license available

• Desirable mix of food/services/entertainment

Ludwig and Karas, Inc. 810-539-1700

Occupancy Jon. 1998

Next time you feed your face, think about your heart.

Go easy on your heart and start cutting back on foods that are high in saturated
fat and cholesterol. The change'll do you good.

V American Heart Association

WERE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE

Michael Esshaki and Glenn Bednarsh have invested time and money into Mel's
Diner.